Defeating an opponent more than once in the same season, as the Skyview slowpitch team learned, is easier said than done.
How about four times?
To clear that bar, the Storm clawed back from multiple deficits against an imposing Union team to win the Class 4A district championship best-of-three series on Wednesday at Evergreen High School, seemingly having an answer for each challenge the Titans threw their way.
Skyview forced extra innings in game one and ultimately claimed an 8-7 win in walk-off fashion when Nivayah Henry scored the winning run following a Union error.
In game two, despite playing catch up for all of the first six innings, Skyview drove in two unanswered runs in the seventh on RBI singles from Kenzie Lakin and Taylor Lies. Upon catching the final out to claim a 5-4 win and the district championship, Skyview players ran to the infield, embracing each other with hugs and ear-to-ear grins.
Still in the back of their minds were losses to Union in last year’s district championship and state tournament, which made these two wins (in addition to two in the regular season) feel extra sweet for the Storm.
“It was really amazing, honestly,” Lies said. “Union has been our biggest competition for four years. Everyone came together in this last game to push through,”
The Storm (17-1) have won seven straight going into next weekend’s 4A state tournament Oct. 25-26 in Yakima. Building toward one of their most successful seasons in program history has involved plenty of fun.
During games, Skyview players are often seen dancing to music played on a speaker in the dugout between innings. They loudly cheer for their teammates on the field. Those joyful moments have helped propel the Storm.
“It’s a really good team,” Lies said. “All of us, I feel like, are close friends.”
“It feels so natural for all of us. We work so well together,” Lakin added. “We see each other in school, we hype each other up. ‘Ready for the game? Let’s go.’ It’s awesome.”
Lakin lit a fire under the Storm during each game in key moments. The senior led a rally in game one with a game-tying, two-run home run to force a 7-7 tie and an eventual win in eight innings.
Union (12-4) raced out to a 3-0 lead in the game to follow, before back-to-back solo home runs from Lakin and Henry trimmed the Titans’ lead to 3-2 in the the fourth. Both players each had two home runs on the day to lead Skyview.
Then, after a Malea Figueroa RBI single got the Storm within one run in the sixth, Lakin’s line drive into center field brought in Avery Henderson for the tying run in the seventh.
“I feel like my body was on fire, like, my head was steaming by the end of the game,” Lakin said. “I wouldn’t want to win it with anybody else.”
Lies’ hard-hit, two-out single to score Ashlyn Vessey proved to be the winning run. The Storm gave up a walk and single in the bottom half, then recorded three straight outs to seal the win.
“We have a lot of hype together,” Lakin said. “We’re like dominoes — one of us goes and then all of us go.”
Skyview will return to state for the second straight season, hoping to improve on last year’s run that came up short of a trophy.
The key to a better result this year, as they saw Wednesday, starts with their energy, Lies said.
“When our energy gets low, we get quiet, we don’t really play as good, and I think that helped us a lot today,” Lies said. “In the dugout when we’re down, keeping the cheers going every second.”
4A DISTRICT 4 TOURNAMENT
SKYVIEW 8-5, UNION 7-4
First Game (8 innings)
Union 300 002 20—7 9 2
Skyview 130 000 21—8 16 4
Union
Highlights — Bailey Gleich 1-4 2R; Victoria Ross 1-4 2B 2R; Sophia Rickard 2-4 RBI; Madison Wirth 1-4 RBI 2R; Megan Barrie 1-2 2B 2RBI; Addison Moe 2-3.
Skyview
Highlights — Taylor Lies 3-4 RBI; Nivayah Henry 1-3 HR RBI 2R; Malea Figueroa 2-4 RBI; Devyn Yates 1-4 2B; Kaydree Rowland 2-3 2B; Avery Henderson 2-3; Kenzie Lakin 2-2 HR 2RBI.
Second Game
Skyview 000 201 2—5 12 3
Union 120 010 0—4 9 0
Skyview
Highlights — Lies 2-4 RBI; Madi Johnson 2-4 HR RBI; Henry 2-2 HR RBI; Figueroa 1-3 RBI; Henderson 3-3 2B; Lakin 2-2 HR 2RBI.
Union
Highlights — Sophia Tumelty 2-4; Wirth 2-3 RBI; Moe 1-2 RBI.
